Rainbow's Quest

by Zetriax

Doppelgangers

Chapter 7- Doppelgangers
Rainbow Dash turned and bolted down the staircase. In the basement, she quickly located a place to hide. She darted behind a bookshelf and peered over the books at the staircase. Her future self was striding boldly down the stairs, looking ready to pummel the intruder.
Rainbow ducked when her gaze swept past her hiding place.
“Where are you hiding? Come out and face me, pony to pony!” Future Rainbow yowled.
Her gaze swept again over her hiding place and Rainbow backed up, accidently bumping into a bookshelf behind her. Rainbow watched in horror as a flask that had been on top of the shelf was dislodged from its perch. It plummeted as if in slow motion. Rainbow darted to catch the flask but missed by a hair’s breadth and the flask shattered beneath her hooves.
“There you are,” came Future Rainbow’s ominous voice.
Rainbow could hear the hoofsteps approaching her hiding place. She squeezed her eyes closed and clenched her teeth. There was no place to hide.
“Rainbow!” called Shadow Flare.
“I’ve got him! I know where the intruder is hiding. There’s nowhere to run!” Rainbow’s future self called back.
Rainbow Dash opened an eye and saw a blue leg step around the corner. Wait. Is this how she wanted her future self to see her? Cowering in fear? No. She would prove to herself, literally, that she was strong and fearless. Rainbow stood up and brushed the dust from her shoulder.
Future Rainbow Dash walked around the corner and stopped dead in her tracks. The two Rainbow Dashes stared at each other. The Future Rainbow Dash waved a wing as if to test if it was a reflection. When Rainbow didn’t respond, Future Rainbow snarled and crouched in preparation to attack.
“Wait! Rainbow!” Shadow Flare called. He came around the bookcase from behind Future Rainbow.
“What’s going on here?” asked Future Rainbow.
Shadow stepped between the two cyan pegasi. “Rainbow Dash,” he addressed the future version, “This is you from the past.”
Future Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. “I think I would remember coming here in the past if it was really me!”
“What?” asked Rainbow.
“Oh you’re busted now. If you were really me from the past, then at one point, I was you. I would remember coming to the future, right? So, since I have never time-traveled before, you and I are not the same pony! That makes you an imposter!”
Rainbow’s head reeled with confusion. What in the wide world of Equestria was she saying? Future Rainbow Dash had never time-traveled before? Then how did she explain herself. Suddenly, she understood what was happening. Not only did she not belong here, but none of this was ever supposed to happen. She had broken the timeline.